


No Place Like Home

by LuvBusters



Category: The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Alcohol Abuse, Animal-Like Behavior, Dimensional Portals, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, PTSD, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2020-10-06 01:56:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 20,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20498990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuvBusters/pseuds/LuvBusters
Summary: Janine is pulled into a dimensional portal. Can the Ghostbusters find a way to get her back before it’s too late?





	1. The Disappearance Of Janine Melnitz

It was a dreary March morning; the sky was overcast with what looked like a storm brewing Janine was on her way to the Firehouse. About halfway there, a tire on her VW Beetle went flat. 

“Ah shit!” she mumbled, pulling the car over to the side of the road.

Winston had recently installed a CB radio in her car so she’d be able to reach the guys in case something like this happened and she wasn’t close to a phone.

“Guys? Come in, please,” Janine radioed.

“Morning, Janine!” Ray greeted her. “What’s up?”

“I’ve got a flat tire on my car. Just wanted to let you know I’ll be late,” Janine replied.

“Awww, does the damsel in distress need assistance?” Peter teased, yelling into the receiver in Ray’s hand.

Janine snorted lightly. “Ha! I can change a tire, Dr. V.”

“You sure you don’t need us to help, princess?” Peter continued to tease.

“I know more about fixing cars than you do!”

“Fair point. Where ya at?” Peter conceded.

Janine quickly surveyed her surroundings. “Anchorage Plaza, right before the Brooklyn bridge.”

“Hang tight. We’ll come get you,” Ray offered.

“Negative, Ray. I’ll change the tire, but I’ll be late,” Janine argued. Then she noticed the sky darkening. “Hold on a sec.”

Janine got out of the car and looked at the clouds. She saw a strange blue glow about fifty yards from where she was. She jumped back in her car and grabbed the radio receiver. 

“Ray! I think you guys need to get over here, NOW!” Janine urged.

“Reconsidering, are we?” Peter teased again.

“Shut it, Dr. V! There’s something that looks like a portal or something! About fifty yards away from me!”

“Get out of the area, Janine!” Egon said sternly. “Don’t take any chances!”

“Copy that!” Janine yelled. 

She grabbed her purse and got out of the car. Suddenly, the wind picked up, and the skies darkened more. Other people in the area started running around, some panicking and screaming, “It’s a storm! Get inside!” People scrambled to find shelter in nearby stores. 

As Janine ran for the nearest store, a powerful burst of wind shot out from the blue cloud that had formed. It pulled her towards the opening that was inches off the ground. Janine dropped her purse as she frantically grasped for anything close enough to hold onto. But the wind was too strong; she couldn’t ground herself. The people around her were too terrified to do anything but watch helplessly as Janine disappeared into the cloud, her blood curdling screams being heard until the cloud vanished. The skies slowly cleared.

Within fifteen minutes, Ecto-1 came to a screeching halt in front of Janine’s car, sirens blaring. Egon, Ray and Peter quickly jumped out of the vehicle before Winston had come to a complete stop.

“JANINE!” Egon screamed as he looked around anxiously. 

Slowly, the onlookers filed out of the stores and other places some had used as shelter. A young woman approached Egon. 

“Are you looking for the owner of that car?” A woman asked, pointing to the VW Beetle.

Egon nodded. “Tell us what happened.” The other Busters joined him.

The woman continued to tell them what she had seen. “She was pulled into a weird blue cloud. Then the whole thing just...disappeared.”

Winston handed Egon the purse. “This is Janine’s.”

Ray asked, “Where was this cloud?”

The woman pointed to the area where the cloud had appeared “It just hung there….a few inches off the ground.”

“Thank you,” Egon said to the woman. 

She just smiled in response. “I hope you guys can find her.”

“Sure we will!” Peter assured her. “We’re the Ghostbusters!”

Egon took out his PKE meter and walked over to the spot the woman had pointed out. He began taking readings. 

Winston walked up to him. “Whatcha think, Egon? Can you figure out where she went?”

Egon frowned. “I think so. But it’s going to take some time to narrow it down.” He pulled out a small notebook and pen from his pocket and began making notes. 

Ray joined Egon. The two quietly discussed among themselves.

Peter and Winston stood by. Peter became impatient after a few short minutes. 

“You two care to tell US what the hell is going on?!” Peter said, a slight tinge of annoyance in his voice.

Ray and Egon exchanged a look, then turned to face the others. They both had a deeply concerned look on their faces. 

“We believe Janine was pulled into another dimension,” Ray explained. 

“And how do we tell which one it was?” Winston asked.

“Ray and I need to go over our notes and calculations,” Egon said. “There’s any number of possible portals it could be, but I believe we can narrow it down.”

“Then what’s with the look you two have?” Winston asked, not sure he really wanted to know.

Ray took a moment before speaking. “There’s a few portals that we’ve read about that are like a one way street,” Ray said slowly. “Hopefully, this isn’t one of them.”

Peter and Winston exchanged the same look Ray and Egon had. Then, Peter slapped his hands together. “Well, enough talk! Let’s get back to the Firehouse or the library or wherever you guys need to go to figure this out!”

“Right! The sooner we get started, the sooner Janine will be back!” Winston agreed. “Me and Pete will do whatever we can to help!”

The ride back to the Firehouse was a silent one. Peter wondered if Egon and Ray knew more about the situation than they were letting on. Or perhaps they were just worried. Finally, Peter broke the silence. “If you two think you know how to find the portal, then what’s the real problem? What is it that you aren’t telling us?”

Egon adjusted his glasses. “There’s always a possibility that this portal may not be traceable. And we have no idea yet what kind of environment she’s in. It may not be sufficient to sustain human life.”

“Well, we’re gonna stay positive on this, guys,” Winston said. “We have to; Janine needs us to be.”

As soon as Ecto-1 pulled into the Firehouse, the men got out and ran straight for the lab. Ray delved into research books, looking for anything that would help. Egon reviewed his notes. 

Egon reviewed his notes again and began scribbling formulas on his blackboard. Peter and Winston just stood by waiting to be told what they could do. Several minutes passed.

“Look at this!” Ray showed Egon. Peter and Winston leaned in to read what Ray had pointed out. 

“This describes the same type of cloud that the witnesses saw!” Winston said. “Could this be the one?”

Egon pulled out his calculator and punched in some numbers. “It’s a very high probability.”

“But how do we replicate it? Or copy it? Or open it?” Peter asked. 

“Ray and I will build a projector that can duplicate the same psycho kinetic energy signature that will create another portal,” Egon said.

“How can we help?” Winston offered.

“We can recycle parts from some of our projects. I’ll need you to dismantle them and recover the materials,” Ray suggested. 

Winston took Peter and went to the lab in the basement to gather the parts. He could tell Peter was worried and needed something to keep his mind occupied. 

“Do you think they can do it?” Peter asked.

Winston gave him a confident look. “Yeah, I think so. If anybody can figure this out, those two can.” He secretly hoped he was right about that.


	2. A Different World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janine discovers where she has traveled to and that she’s not alone.

Janine awoke to find herself in what seemed to be a bedroom. Her bed was made out of something similar to memory foam; very soft, fitting her form snugly. The sheets were made of something divinely soft and sleek, like silk. She got out of the bed and walked over to the window. She looked out over a vast meadow, lush and green. There were beautiful flowers covering the meadow with vibrant colors: orange, royal blue, fushia and bright yellow. They reminded Janine of tiger lilies except the flowers were different colors. The smell of the gardens drifted into the room, filling it with a sweet, almost fruity smell. 

Janine’s attention was drawn back to her room when she heard the door knob turning. 

A very tall, lean figure standing upright like a human appeared. It must have been at least six feet tall, slightly taller than Egon. The figure was covered in short fur, a light tan in color with small, black spots like a leopard or as much as Janine could see. It was wearing what resembled a medieval outfit with gloves that covered most of its arms. It had small, rounded ears. It’s eyes were a golden color and had whiskers like a cat. 

She was frightened when the figure entered the room.  
Janine looked around quickly, grabbing a small wooden chair. She held the chair up in front of her, attempting to scare off the cat-like humanoid. “Aagghhh! Get out!” She screamed in as menacing a voice as she could manage.

The figure raised its hands up in defense with an alarmed look in its eyes. “NO! WAIT!” the cat-like figure shouted in a deep male voice. “I am sorry for startling you.”

“Move out of the way!” came another voice from behind him, a female voice, gentle yet slightly demanding.

“My apologies,” the male creature said, kindly stepping aside to allow her entry into the room.

Janine was greeted by a second creature similar to the first one. Except this one was a foot shorter. She had long, wavy hair that was a soft brown in color pulled into a ponytail. Her facial features were the same as was the rest of her body. Her eyes were a pale blue in color, a stern, inquisitive expression on her face. She also wore the same sort of medieval outfit.

“You’ll have to excuse my brother,” she said. “He’s easily distracted.” She stretched out her hand to shake with Janine’s. That’s when she noticed Janine’s body was trembling, her pupils dilated, and her breathing was ragged.

Janine didn’t budge. She kept eye contact with the creatures. She didn’t lower the chair either. In fact, her grip tightened. She backed up a few steps, trying to keep her distance. She noticed that both creatures had four fingers and a thumb on each hand; she noticed their feet had five toes each as well, although the claws caught her attention. 

The female creature turned to the male. “Back up; she’s frightened.”

“Wouldn’t you be?” he replied, his tone slightly irritated.

“You must have a million questions,” she said. “I promise, we won’t hurt you. Please…..”

Janine slowly put down the chair. She hesitantly walked towards the female creature but stopped just short of being within arm's length of her reach. 

“What’s your name?” she asked Janine with a warm smile.

“Janine,” she replied.

“Hello Janine,” the female greeted her. “My name is Ophelia, and his name is Orin.”

“Where am I?” Janine asked. 

“This is our home, be that as it may,” Ophelia smirked. 

“It is a humble home, but it serves our purpose,” Orin said, stepping closer. 

Janine couldn’t help but notice how similar the way Orin spoke was to someone else she knows. “Ok, but where am I? Another planet? Another dimension?”

“This is a planet known as Starwyn; it’s in a galaxy called Polaris, just north of your Milky Way galaxy,” Orin explained. 

Both Orin and Ophelia ran to grab Janine as she passed out and hit the floor.

*****************************  
Janine moaned as she slowly regained consciousness. She realized someone was sitting beside her, holding her hand. The hand was larger than hers and very warm. “Mmmm…..Egon….?”

She opened her eyes and was momentarily startled to see Orin holding her hand. He was looking at her, his head cocked to one side, his eyes studying her closely. 

“Who is this…..E-gon?” He asked curiously. 

Janine gently removed her hand from his and pushed herself up to a sitting position on the bed. Sensing her hesitation, Orin stood and remained by the bedside.

“He’s a…..a friend….from my world,” Janine said. It was then that she realized exactly how much she missed her guys. 

“Is he….a…..good friend?” Orin asked. 

Janine wasn’t sure how he meant that. But she certainly wasn’t going to unload all of her personal business to a creature she just met on another world in another galaxy. 

“He’s someone I’ve known for a while. I also work for him, as well as three other men,” Janine said. 

Orin grinned, a look that unnerved her greatly. “It sounded like he may mean something more to you from the way you called for him in your sleep.”

Janine blushed. “Sorry….guess I’m just….disoriented….missing my home.”

Ophelia came into the room unannounced. “Let me talk to her, Orin.” She shooed him out with her hands. 

He gave Janine a warm smile, hesitated slightly, then left the room. Ophelia rolled her eyes and smiled as she closed the bedroom door. “He’s smitten, you know.”

Janine’s eyes widened in shock. “What?! Who?! ME?!” She squeaked. 

Ophelia giggled. “Yeah, afraid so, honey. He’s got it bad for you.”

Janine teared up, shaking her head. “No, no, no! This is impossible! I have to get back, back to my own world, my friends, my family!” She buried her face in her hands, sobbing deeply. 

Ophelia moved closer to Janine, sitting beside her on the bed. She cautiously placed an arm comfortingly around her shoulders. “Please, don’t cry. I know you’re frightened; I would be, too. But Orin is smart. Maybe he’ll be able to find a way for you to go home.”


	3. Portal Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Busters try to find the portal Janine was pulled through while Janine’s new friends ponder their next step.

Orin cautiously opened the door to Janine’s room. He stepped inside, walking quietly up to Ophelia. He sat down next to her. “I do not know exactly what caused this portal to open. I was hunting for food when I heard your screams. You had been rendered unconscious; apparently, your head hit hard against a small rock.”

Janine reached up to the back of her head, wincing when she felt the bump. 

Orin continued. “I carried you back here, and Ophelia tended to your wound.”

“Is the portal still there?!” Janine asked, hopeful.

“I have not returned to that area, but I will look.” He stood and left the room. 

Janine stood, wanting to go with him, but was quickly overcome with a wave of dizziness. She sat back down. 

“I don’t think you should get up yet,” Ophelia said. “You’ve been through a lot and probably need to eat.” Ophelia stood and went to another room. She soon returned with a bowl of what looked like fruit. She handed Janine a small, round, orange colored item. 

Janine smelled it; it smelled like an orange, but it was smooth and soft. She looked at Ophelia. 

“Eat,” she gestured to put it in her mouth. 

Janine cautiously took a small bite. It tasted very sweet and was quite juicy. A few drops of juice ran down her chin. She slowly ate the rest of it and reached out for the cloth that Ophelia offered to wipe her mouth and hands. “Thank you.”

Ophelia smiled. “I’ll leave the rest of them here for you. Feel free if you’re still hungry.” She then left the room. 

*************************  
Egon and Ray had spent the last three hours trying to figure out what kind of portal Janine had disappeared through. Peter was growing increasingly impatient while Winston was trying to keep him calm. 

“They’ve been in the lab all this time! I’ve gotta do something!” Peter said as he paced in the rec room. 

“Give them time to figure it out, Pete. They will; they always do,” Winston said.

“They had said earlier that we could help build some kind of a machine that makes portals like the one Janine disappeared into?”

“Actually, that’s the plan!” Ray said as he entered the room. He grabbed a soda and a box of Cheez Its. “Iggy just needs to narrow it down to which portal!”

“How’s that even possible?” Winston asked.

“Hey, I thought you stopped asking questions like that after you took this job?” Peter said teasingly. 

“You’d think nothing would surprise me, but at this point, I’m not sure,” Winston deadpanned. 

“Of the portals that have been reported, he needs to find the one that has the same PKE signature,” Ray explained. “Once he finds it, we can build a generator that will recreate another one!”

“But what if the one he needs isn’t in his books?” Winston asked.

“You weren’t the sunny kid in class, were you?” Peter asked.

“Then we’ll have to look at each portal and hope we can find it.” 

They all sighed heavily. 

“Ray, we have work to do. Winston, Peter: you can help, too,” Egon announced. He had walked quietly into the room. “I have found a portal that has a PKE signature the same as the one at the area where Janine disappeared.”

Peter led the way to the lab, whooping and skipping as he went. 

Egon showed Ray his notes and the book he had used. Ray read over the material carefully, then began nodding. 

“You know, if this is the same one, this is amazing!” Ray exclaimed. “This is another galaxy beyond the Milky Way!”

“I’m afraid the engineering of this portal is not going to be easy,” Egon said. 

“Spengs - we’re talking about building a portal to another DIMENSION! What about that sounds EASY?” Peter pointed out. 

“You guys have built things like the containment unit and the proton packs. This shouldn’t be much different!” Winston said. “Exactly what parts do we need?”

Egon wrote down the parts needed. “You can get most of these from some of our previous projects in the basement lab. The others I will have to improvise or find in local stores.”

Peter took the list. “Come on Zed! Let’s go!”

Winston and Peter ran downstairs. Ray could see that Egon was worried. 

“It’s gonna be ok. We’ll find her,” Ray said in an attempt to reassure his friend. 

Egon gave him a weak smile. “I hope wherever she is, she’s safe.”

*****************************  
Orin had returned to the spot where he had found Janine. The portal was there but appeared to be dark inside, indicating it was closed for the time being. He looked around the area carefully, as if searching for something. He sniffed the air for clues of other creatures in the area. Then, his eyes saw what he was looking for. He rushed over to the rock that Janine had hit her head on when she fell through the portal. Her blood was still on it. Orin quickly took the rock and rubbed it several times in dirt, trying to wipe it clean. But it was no use. So he took the rock to a stream a few yards away and placed it in the water. He then returned to the actual spot she was found in. Orin covered the ground in his urine to disguise Janine’s scent. 

“That will have to do,” he thought to himself. He then climbed up the nearest tree and jumped from limb to limb, making his way back to his lair through the trees. 

Once he returned home, he found Ophelia in the den. She was preparing food for them. It was a small rodent, similar to a muskrat. She had removed the fur and was cleaning the meat when Orin appeared. 

“Did you find it?” She asked, looking up from her work.

“I did. The portal seems to be temporarily closed,” Orin said softly.

“Did you take care of proper preparations?”

“Yes. I covered her scent as best as I could. I placed the bloodied rock in the stream. Then I took to the trees to keep my tracks hidden.”

“Good. That will hopefully bide us some time, but we’ll probably need to move her soon, just to be sure.”

Orin nodded. “What is she going to eat?”

“I gave her the bowl of bushwaas. That’s all I have for now, but I’ll try to find her something else later tonight.”

“I’ll take care of it!” Orin volunteered quite enthusiastically. 

“Orin, don’t get attached to her. You know she can’t stay,” his sister reminded him, her tone stern.

“Assuming her people can find her? We do not know that they are looking for her.”

“I’m sure they are. And if her friends are who we think they are, we’re all in grave danger.”


	4. Danger Cometh Quickly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys finally have the portal generator ready; Janine trains herself to live on her own in the other dimension.

It had been four days since Janine was pulled into the strange portal. The guys had been working nearly around the clock on a portal generator. Egon had gotten the less sleep among them. He was becoming increasingly agitated. Ray has fallen asleep at the work bench while Winston and Peter we’re starting on their third cup of coffee for the morning. 

Suddenly, Egon threw the screwdriver he had in his hand across the room, clattering to the floor. “DAMNIT!”

Ray practically jumped out of his skin at the outburst; Peter and Winston jumping, too. 

Egon immediately apologized. “I’m … I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Why don’t you get a quick nap?” Winston suggested. 

“Yeah, we’ve all had a nap except you,” Ray added.

“I can’t; we have no idea what kind of danger Janine may be in,” Egon replied.

“Spengs, you’re no good to her if you work on this thing and do a half-ass job,” Peter said gently. “Catch a power nap; we’ll wake you.”

Reluctantly, Egon stood and wearily made his way to the bunk room. Ray looked over the work that Egon had done. He saw what had upset Egon so much. Ray took a small flathead screwdriver and carefully removed the screw that had gotten lodged in a section of the generator. 

“He was trying to screw this in with a Phillips screwdriver,” Ray said, holding up the damaged screw. 

“Can that part still be used?” Winston asked. 

“I’m afraid not,” Ray said sadly. “I’ll remove it and start making a new one.”

“Shit. That’s gonna send him over the edge,” Peter said. 

“No. It won’t take me half an hour if I can get the parts fast enough,” Ray urged. 

“Whatcha need?” Winston asked, jumping up from his seat.

Ray told him what parts he needed, and Winston raced downstairs to the basement. Peter looked at the ruined screw. 

“How much more needs to be done?” He asked Ray. 

Ray sighed, running his hand down his neck. “Probably about …. we should be ready to run preliminary tests tomorrow,”

“That’s not bad!”

“Evening,” Ray finished.

Peter’s smile faded instantly. “Shit.”

******************************  
Janine was breathing heavily. Orin and Ophelia had began teaching Janine how to live in the wild. They were both waiting for her at the top of a huge cliff. 

“You must get faster!” Orin scolded her. 

“Oh yeah?! Easy for YOU to say! You’ve got a leaner body and claws! Besides, you’re used to this! What the hell do you think I am?! Some kinda Spider-Woman?!” Janine retorted, struggling to catch her breath.

“You must be faster than this if you are to survive!” Orin continued his chiding.

“Easy up, Orin,” Ophelia urged. “We’ve still got time.”

“That’s another thing: why is this so damn important?!” Janine asked. 

Ophelia took a deep breath. “You will eventually have to move your living quarters.”

“No shit! I wanna go home!” Janine screamed. Tears were threatening to fall, but she choked them back.

“Janine, you must face the possibility that you may never return to your own home,” Ophelia said softly, her hands on Janine’s shoulders.

“No! My guys will find me! They just need more time!” Janine yelled, jerking away from Ophelia. 

“It’s been three and a half months! They would have been here by now if they were coming! Besides, the portal has not reopened since your arrival,” Orin replied. 

Janine sat down on the ground and crossed her legs. She sat and quietly stared out at the beautiful scenery below. She took slow breaths in an attempt to calm herself. After a few moments, she stood and looked at Orin and Ophelia. “Why is it necessary for me to move my living quarters?”

Ophelia spoke: “Titus. He and his minions will eventually come for you.”

“Who’s Titus?”

Orin stepped forward to explain: “Titus is a demon overlord who rules over most of our world. He has not yet succeeded in forcing us into submission.”

“Why don’t you fight?” Janine asked.

“We do but we are greatly outnumbered,” Ophelia replied. “There are other small groups of creatures like us, but not nearly enough.”

“So, you run?!” 

“We do not run anymore,” Orin said. “We have an agreement with Titus: we supply him with monthly sacrifices. In return, he does not hunt us.”

“And what, may I ask, are these ‘sacrifices’?!” 

“Baskets of fruits or small game animals,” Ophelia said. 

Janine rolled her eyes. “And what if, one day, Titus decides that’s not enough? I’ve learned one thing by working with my guys: if you give a demon what it wants, it will only want more. And it will take it - one way or another. That’s why you need to fight!”

“Our way of life here is much different from yours!” Orin spat angrily. 

“NO SHIT!” Janine yelled. “This hasn’t been a picnic for me either, you know?! I’m used to going home and watching a movie or reading a book with a glass of wine! And I haven’t gotten this much exercise even from racquetball!”

Ophelia stepped in between Janine and Orin, acting as referee. “Look, we’ve still got another week before Titus will be coming for his sacrifice. Let’s focus on getting your new home ready.”

Ophelia les Janine to a cave near the top of the cliff they had climbed. It was conveniently hidden by a thick concentration of ivy. They stepped inside while Orin remained outside guarding. 

It was a very big space. Natural light filtered in through thin cracks between the rocks. Janine looked around slowly, taking it all in. 

“He’s upset about you moving,” Ophelia said softly. “That’s why he’s being so brutal on your training.”

“Well, I’m not too keen on it myself,” Janine said. 

“He’s become very fond of you.”

Janine stared blankly. 

“I think he may even be in love with you,” Ophelia said. 

“Oh no! That’s not gonna work!” Janine said, her facial expression reflecting slight panic. “I never meant to lead him on! I mean … it’s not possible! I …. there’s someone else … back home.”

“You don’t have to worry; I know you didn’t imply anything. But he has fallen for you; almost immediately.”

“I’m sorry, Ophelia. I’m very sorry. It’s just not possible.”

“I know. And he knows, too. But that’s why he’s so temperamental.”

“I’m learning as fast as I can. I just can’t transform myself so quickly.”

“You’re doing great! Just remember to never let your guard down. After you move here, we won’t be able to see you anymore. We can’t take the chance of Titus picking up your scent on us.”

“I understand; thank you - for everything.” 

Ophelia moved in and hugged Janine tightly; Janine returned the hug, tears silently falling.

****************************  
It was the following evening in New York; the guys were ready to test their portal generator. They had transported it to the area where Janine had disappeared. It was dusk so the flow of traffic and people were at a minimum. 

Ray finished the setup and stepped back to stand with the others. He nodded to Egon. Winston said a silent prayer while Peter crossed his fingers so hard, he almost lost the feeling in them. 

Egon threw the switch from the remote he was holding. The portal generator roared to life! They rushed to it, hesitantly looking into it. 

“Someone needs to go in, see what it looks like,” Ray suggested. 

Before a proper discussion could be held, the volunteer stepped inside the portal. 

“EGON!” Winston yelled. 

But he had already disappeared into the portal. The others anxiously stood by the portal, waiting. It seemed like an eternity, but after a few moments, Egon returned. 

“Shut it down!” He yelled. 

Winston picked up the remote that Egon had left lying on the ground and flipped the switch. The generator shut down, the portal closing.

“Are you nuts?! What if we can’t get it going again?!” Peter yelled. 

“It’s for the best, Peter, I assure you,” Egon replied sternly. “I took PKE readings inside the portal. I believe this is the same dimension Janine is in; the signatures are the exact same.”

“Then why don’t we just go get her?” Winston asked. 

“There was no immediate sign of her, but she was in the area. I had a second meter with me to use to locate her biorhythm. I did pick up a very faint reading; she has been there recently. But, the signature of this dimension is very similar to another that we have encountered.” He looked at his friends, sorrow and fear evident in his eyes.

“What is it, Egon?” Ray asked hesitantly. 

“It’s a dimension that is very close to the one where the Boogeyman originated from. It’s not the same portal but similar. The world I saw briefly was quite beautiful, but the other readings I picked up prove that it’s also full of demonic entities.”

“So you shut down the portal to keep those entities from crossing through?” Peter asked. 

“Yes. And I am confident that we will be able to open it again once we are properly prepared,” Egon said.

“Yeah, this was just a test run for the generator. We didn’t exactly come ready for battle,” Ray said. 

“Then let's go! Big J’s waiting!” Peter said enthusiastically. 

*******************************  
Janine was packing up the rest of her food stash. She had made the necessary items such as a bed and chairs for her new home, with Orin and Ophelia’s help of course. 

Ophelia approached Janine slowly, tears faintly shining in her eyes. “I never thought I could come to think of a human as a sister, but I feel that way for you.” She hugged Janine tightly, then stepped back. She handed her a sword. “Take this; you’ll need it.”

Janine took it. “Thank you for everything. I owe you my life.” She hugged Ophelia back once more. 

Ophelia stepped back, allowing Orin to approach Janine. He held a small wooden box in his hand. “I want to give you this; consider it a token of my affection.”

Janine took the box and looked at it closely. “It’s beautiful; thank you.”

He then handed her a key. “It can be opened with this. Take care, Janine. I truly hope your Ghostbusters can find a way to you. I apologize that I was not able to activate the portal from this side.”

“How is it that you know who I am? And the guys?” 

“Word has traveled far of the Ghostbusters. I believe you are familiar with the Boogeyman?”

Janine’s widened. “Yes! Is he from here?”

“No, but from a nearby world like this one. He had succeeded in turning that world into a realm of horrors. It is only a matter of time before Titus does the same to this one.”

“Maybe there’s something we can do? Something the guys can do?” 

“No, we will survive our world. If you can return to yours, stay there. You will be safe.” Orin leaned in and gently kissed Janine’s cheek. “You must go. We are running out of time.”

Janine nodded, then turned to leave. She was terrified but knew it was for the best. 

***************************  
A pair of clawed feet quickly made their way through the thick foliage, finally arriving at a stream. A snout similar to that of a dog’s sniffed wildly around the area. 

Another pair of feet approached, heavier and wearing boots. The tall being bent down, closely inspecting the stream. After a moment, he reached down and picked up a rock, slightly stained with blood. He sniffed the rock, rolling it around in his huge clawed hand. The creature slowly stood. His appearance was similar to Orin’s but a bit taller. He was also built bigger: his shoulders were broader and his arms were more muscular. He had fangs that hung out of his mouth. His fur was a deep brown almost black color. He wore a full suit of armor except for his head, which was uncovered. He had a sword attached to his left hip, and a sharp blade stuck in the top of his boot. 

“Lord Titus, I believe this is the portal that the woman came through!” The clawed dog-like creature said. 

“Yes, we are very close.” He chuckled, an unnerving, sinister laugh. “It seems that my plan to lure those pitiful Ghostbusters is working perfectly!”

“Can I have the woman? Please?” The dog-like creature begged. 

“If there’s anything left after I’m finished with her,” Titus chuckled again.


	5. The Wrath Of Titus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The portal generator is working and the guys start their search for Janine. However, they’re not the only ones looking for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GRAPHIC VIOLENCE - just want to let those with weak constitutions know that this chapter is graphic. This chapter contains a torture scene.

Janine made her way back to her cave home. She took a longer route so as to not lead any possible enemies back to her home. Orin and Ophelia has taught her how to do that and to check behind her, covering her tracks. Once she had finished stashing her things away, she sat down in the corner of what she considered her living room. She drew her knees up against her chest, hugging her legs against her body. 

“Guys, please come find me,” she whispered. “Please; I don’t wanna die here.”

*************************  
The guys had returned to the firehouse and were beginning to pack Ecto-1 with their gear. Winston also packed the proton rifle. They had used it a few times already, and it had proven to be a great asset. 

Ray and Peter were grabbing extra traps while Egon was in the lab, going back over his calculations. 

“I thought Egon had already figured out everything we needed to know?” Winston pointed out.

Peter smiled. “It’s just his way of covering up his nervousness. His anxiety levels are through the roof. He thinks I don’t know his act, but he underestimates me.”

Ray smiled too. “I think he’s just excited to see Janine again. It’s been almost a week!”

Egon appeared at the top of the stairs. As he slowly walked downstairs, he addressed his friends:

“I am quite confident the portal will open again. I have finished this additional device.” He showed them a small hand held device. 

“When did you do that?!” Ray asked, excitedly examining it. 

“I started construction on this device after I had finished the generator,” Egon explained. 

“What’s it do?” Winston asked.

“It will be activated on this side of the portal. The purpose of this device is to stop any entities to enter into our world while we are inside.”

“Brilliant!” Peter exclaimed.

Egon adjusted his glasses. “Of course,” he said blandly. 

“However, the portal will only stay open for an hour at a time,” Ray said. “We’ll have to come back, with or without Janine.”

“How long will it take to recharge it?” Winston asked.

“Two hours for a full charge,” Egon answered. 

“Then let’s make the most of our time,” Peter said, making his way to the locker for his jumpsuit.

**************************************  
The time for Titus’ sacrifice had arrived. Orin and Ophelia had gathered six small game animals and two huge baskets full of fruit. They had left it by the stream, which bordered their land from his. 

Titus slowly approached the items. His henchmen (the dog-like creatures) sniffed around the baskets trying to inspect them. Three of these creatures had accompanied him today. 

“The sacrifice is clean, my Lord,” one of the creatures said. 

Titus picked up one of the small game animals, effectively wringing it’s head off. He then ate part of the animal, throwing the rest on the ground for his goons.

As they swiftly finished off the animal, Titus made an announcement: “I believe it is time to pay our friends a little visit.” 

Orin had just returned to his home with a nice sized animal that humans would consider a deer thrown over his shoulder. He and Ophelia will eat for a week! But as soon as his home came into sight, his keen sense of smell picked up a scent - an unwelcome one. He quickly picked up his pace and sprinted the rest of the way.

“Orin! What is it?!” Ophelia shouted as he threw open the door. 

“Quickly! Get out!” He screamed, dropping the animal and grabbing her by the hand. 

They ran out of the back door just as Titus broke down the front door. His henchmen met them at the back. As they escorted Orin and Ophelia back inside, Titus had helped himself to the animal Orin had killed. 

“We left your sacrifice at the arranged location,” Orin said calmly but sternly. 

“Oh yes, that was very good,” Titus answered. “But I thought a visit was in order.”

“Why? To eat OUR food?!” Ophelia snapped angrily. One of the creatures that was with Titus grabbed her by the arm, holding her in place.

Titus walked up to them slowly and sniffed both Orin and Ophelia. “I think you have a secret.”

“What do you mean?” Orin asked innocently. 

“I think you know. There has been a visitor to our world. A human woman from another dimension.”

“I haven’t seen such a creature,” Orin said, again calmly.

“No, I haven’t either,” Ophelia added.

“I think maybe you have,” Titus said. “I can smell a faint scent on you both. So, I shall be doubling your sacrifice amount.”

“You can’t do that!” Ophelia screamed. 

“Oh I can and I shall,” Titus snarled. “If I find this woman, she will pay.”

“What’s she mean to you?!” Ophelia taunted.

“She will bring those cursed Ghostbusters here to me! I have heard the tales - what they did to the Boogeyman. They will not foil my plans for this world!”

He snapped his fingers and the henchmen released Ophelia and Orin, leaving the home. After they had gotten out of sight, Orin turned towards the kitchen. He started grabbing utensils such as knives and shoved them into a sack. 

“What are you doing?!” Ophelia shouted.

“I must get these to Janine! She needs to know that she is in danger!” Orin replied. 

Ophelia grabbed his arm. “You know you shouldn’t.”

He looked at her, deep fear in his eyes. “I must.” He held Ophelia’s hand. “You must look for a new home. Do not wait for me to return. It will not be long before Titus returns. I will find you.”

They hugged each other as if their lives depended on it. In a way, it did. 

“I love you, Orin.”

“I love you too, Ophelia.”

****************************  
It was a day’s journey, but Orin finally made it to Janine’s home. He was careful in his traveling so no one could follow him. He knocked on the door. 

Janine cautiously looked through a small opening to see who it was. She was surprised to see Orin.

She opened the door and greeted him. “Orin! What are you doing here?”

“You must move again,” Orin warned her. “Titus knows you are here and that we helped you! You must move again!” 

“What?!”

“Apparently, he was the one who opened the portal which brought you here. I also believe he planned on capturing you as a way to lure your friends here. If he finds you, he will kill you.”

Janine was speechless. She had only been here for a week and now was having to find another home. 

Orin handed her the knives. “Keep these with you for protection.”

“But I have the sword that Ophelia gave me.”

“You will need everything you can manage to defend yourself.”

She nodded and accepted the knives. 

“I will help you find a new place,” Orin offered.

“No, you’ve already risked enough. I can do it.”

Orin reached out and held Janine’s hand. He looked her directly in the eyes. For the first time, fear and love shone in his eyes. “Janine, if Titus and his creatures return, I will do whatever I can to protect your location.”

“Thank you, Orin. I could never thank you and Ophelia enough.” She hugged Orin tightly. 

He pulled away and looked at her. With one hand, he cupped the side of her face. “Keep that box I gave you safe. I placed a special message inside for you. Open it when you feel safe again.”

He leaned in and gently kissed Janine on the lips. He turned and left without another word. Janine stood there in the middle of her kitchen staring at the door, tears sliding down her face. 

****************************  
Ophelia decided that it was time for her to search for a new home for herself and Orin. She knew Orin would find her. She filled a backpack with enough food to last for several days. She also packed things for weapons, such as knives and blades. Ophelia then set out in search of their new home.

Janine was cautiously walking through the dense forest. She heard some rustling of the leaves and sticks on the ground nearby. She hid as best as she could, nestled in between some huge rocks.

The rustling sound got closer. Soon, she could tell by the sounds that it was footsteps and whatever belonged to those feet was hunting. 

Suddenly, a dog-like creature jumped on top of the rock, peering down at her. “Master! I have found her!”

Two other creatures joined that one, surrounding Janine. She slowly stood, fear gripping her heart. The creatures took turns beating and hitting her. She tried to fight back, but she was terribly outnumbered. After a few moments, the creatures heard the snapping of fingers. 

Titus leered at Janine as his assistants brought her before him. Her face had been beaten; there were bruises on her right cheek and over her right eye. Her bottom lip had been busted and blood was dripping down the front of her shirt. The goons forcefully pushed her down onto her knees on the ground.

“I’m going to make this easy for you,” Titus growled as he loomed over Janine. “How many are coming for you?”

“None, no one is coming,” Janine said as she looked him in the eyes.

“You LIE!” He screamed as he backhanded her across the face, leaving a red mark on her right cheek. “Aren’t you associated with the Ghostbusters?!”

“Not anymore,” Janine replied wearily. 

“I do not believe you,” Titus said. He snapped his fingers. 

Immediately, his goons grabbed Janine roughly. One held her down on the ground by her shoulders. The other took her right hand and raised it up above her head. He took her pinky finger and held it at the base where it attached to her hand. He looked at Titus, anxiously awaiting further instructions.

“One. More. Time,” Titus hissed. “How many of the Ghostbusters are coming? I know who they are and that you work for them! Tell me….NOW!”

Janine slowly lifted her head and stared Titus defiantly in the eyes. “No one is coming!”

Titus snapped his fingers again. The goon holding Janine’s hand took his claws on his opposite hand and placed the longest and sharpest talon at the base of her pinky finger. He pulled it across, slicing through the skin and bone, the finger falling to the ground. 

Janine screamed as blood ran down her arm. The goon dropped her arm down to her side and stepped back. She was trembling in pain as Titus stepped closer. He knelt in front of her, lifting her chin with his thick hand. 

“You will tell me the truth. I must admit, I admire your courage and dedication. But it will not help you, my dear. The longer it takes for you to tell me what I want to know, the more you will suffer,” Titus snarled. 

Janine grimaced and jerked her face from his grip. She remained silent, awaiting her fate. She had decided that if she was going to die, she would do it bravely. Besides, there was no way in hell she was going to give this thing what he wanted. 

“I never anticipated the inner strength you would have,” Titus said. “But my assistants will do whatever I tell them to. And we’ve been through enough of these types of “conversations,” they know what I want without me telling them.”

He remained knelt in front of Janine. “Once more: how soon can I expect your employers to come and retrieve you?”

Tears streamed down Janine’s face in anger, but she remained silent. 

Titus stood and nodded to the goon. Again, he raised Janine’s right hand and sliced off the third finger. 

“GO TO HELL!” she spat at Titus, almost passing out from the pain. 

Titus let out a fiendish laugh. “Oh my darling….we are already there!” He snapped his fingers again. 

The goons jerked Janine up onto her feet, then dragging her to a nearby tree. The assistant who had cut off Janine’s fingers reached up to the lowest tree branch and pulled loose one of the strong vines growing along the tree. He used it to bind her hands together, then used another vine to hang her from the tree branch, lifting her just high enough to where her toes barely touched the ground. 

Both goons then took turns striking her. They punched her hard as if she were a man, breaking several ribs. They broke off smaller tree branches and used them as paddles, bruising her arms and legs. Janine screamed in agony as she felt her skin ripping from her body. 

Finally, Titus snapped his fingers again. The goons stopped and untied Janine, letting her fall to the ground. As she lay there panting, Titus walked over to her. He stood over her, cracking his knuckles on his fists. 

“Why do you protect them? Don’t you realize that I will kill you?”

Janine raised her head to look at him. In a hoarse voice, she spoke: “I won’t let you hurt them.” 

Titus leaned down and grabbed her upper right arm. “Do you honestly believe they would do the same to protect you?”

Janine’s eyes narrowed, an icy glint appearing. “Yes...they would.”

“Hmmmm….guess we’ll never know,” Titus smirked. Suddenly, his thick, strong hands broke her arm in two places like a stick. 

“Aaagghhhhhhh,” Janine screamed, almost losing consciousness. 

Titus laughed and nodded to his goons. They both stepped over and continued torturing Janine’s body. One of the goons took a rough punch to her knee, effectively dislocating it. The other goon got down on his knees and gnawed on her left arm with his huge fangs. 

Janine tried to thrash and protect herself but they were just too strong. And her injuries had left her so weak that she couldn’t find the strength. 

Titus snapped his fingers yet again, the goons stepping aside. Titus straddled Janine’s body, standing above her. He took out a long blade from the sheath attached to his waist. He squatted just above her abdomen and delivered a deep gash, causing a stream of blood to flow out. Then, as Janine lay there, gasping for breath, Titus stood and moved to stand above her chest. He squatted down once more and gently pushed her hair aside out of her face. 

“Tell me what I want to know,” he taunted her. 

Janine gathered a mouthful of saliva and blood, then spat it all over his face. 

Titus calmly took one hand and wiped his face. Then, he laid the blade against one side of Janine’s throat. She stared him down with as much strength as she could muster. Titus then quickly pulled the blade across her neck to the other side of her jugular. Blood spattered across Titus’ face and the ground. 

He stood and stepped aside, looking down at Janine’s lifeless body. He replaced the blade back in the sheath and started walking away. 

“Come on boys!” He shouted triumphantly. “IF those bastards show up, leave this for them to find. That’ll keep them away.” He laughed as he and his goons returned to their solitude. 

*********************  
The four Ghostbusters exited their generated portal. They were astonished at their surroundings. 

“Wow! Would ya look at this?!” Ray exclaimed, his eyes as big as saucers as he slowly took in the lush environment. 

“Come on, Ray,” Peter said, pulling him by the arm. “According to Spengs, we’ve got a limited amount of time to find Janine before the portal closes.”

“Yes. The portal will be open for one hour and….,” he checked his watch. “Forty-seven minutes, fifty-one seconds. Then we’ll have to recharge the generator from home.”

As they made their way through the wooded area, Winston kept his proton rifle primed and ready. “This place creeps me out; reminds me too much of Vietnam.”

“It’s ok, Zed. We’ll find Janine and be back home in no time,” Peter said enthusiastically.


	6. Death and Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys find Janine and start dealing with what has happened. However, they soon make a startling discovery.

Ophelia had been searching for a new home and had traveled deeper into the forest. She had searched the area in the opposite direction of where Janine had moved to. She began to slow her rate of speed when her nose picked up a familiar scent. Her heart pounded as she followed the scent. 

“Oh no!” she whispered as she came to a small clearing. She walked over and knelt by Janine’s body. “I am so sorry.” Tears streamed down her face as she gently touched Janine’s uninjured hand. 

Suddenly, Ophelia let go of Janine’s hand, her nose picking up additional scents. Her ears picked up footsteps. She ran and climbed the nearest tree. She quickly leapt from limb to limb, moving from one tree to another, until she had gotten a safe distance away. She continued traveling through the treetops. After finding a nice area of thick trees next to a river, she stopped to take a break and to grieve. 

************************  
The guys were running out of time. 

“This way!” Egon shouted. His PKE meter had picked up Janine’s biorhythm. 

They followed Egon until they came to the area where they saw her body. 

As they approached the body, their hearts sank. What they saw twisted their stomachs. Janine’s throat had been slit from one side to the other. Her left arm had been badly mangled, the right arm broken in two places. She was missing the third and fourth fingers on her right hand. There were numerous cuts and bruises on her arms and legs. Winston presumed from the bruises on her left side that a few ribs had been broken. Her shirt was ripped in several places, making it easy to see her injuries without looking too hard. Her right kneecap had been dislocated. He also noticed a stab wound to her lower abdomen. 

Winston was the first one to get to her. Peter walked over slowly, stopping a few feet behind Winston. Ray stayed even further, his stomach almost wrenching. He tried to stop Egon, but he insisted on seeing her.

Winston stood and faced the guys. “She was obviously tortured, and put up one helluva fight. But, there's nothing I can do. She’s been gone for at least a few hours.”

Ray cried silently, letting the tears fall freely. Peter teared up but didn’t cry; he didn’t say anything. Egon knelt beside her body. Without saying a word, he gently brushed her long locks away from her face. He stood and removed his jumpsuit, wearing only his regular clothes underneath. He knelt again and started wrapping Janine’s body in the jumpsuit. Winston quietly stepped over and helped. 

Egon stood with her body carefully cradled in his arms, his face pale, jaws tight with the emotion he refused to let show. He cleared his throat, then said softly but firmly, “we need to take her home; give her a proper….funeral.”

After returning to their own dimension, the guys placed Janine inside Ecto-1. Winston covered her with a blanket and started up the engine. Peter and Ray walked inside the Firehouse with Egon while Winston took her body to the hospital. There she would be officially declared deceased and her body prepared for burial. 

It was two and a half hours later when Winston returned to the Firehouse. The others were sitting quietly at the kitchen table, each with a mug of hot cocoa. Peter looked up as Winston entered the room.

“Need a mug?” He asked, holding up his own.

Winston nodded. “Yeah, that’ll help.”

“Did you have any problems?” Egon asked. 

“No, just took a while to explain the situation. But, overall, no major problems,” Winston said.

Ray was sitting at the table, eyes filling again with tears. “This can’t be real,” he said softly.

Peter put an arm around Ray’s shoulder, giving him a brotherly hug. “I know, buddy. But we’re here for you. We’re here for each other. That’s the only way we can do this. You know Janine wouldn’t want us to wallow in this.”

Winston snorted lightly. “Yeah, she’d say ‘stop your whining and get your ass back to work!’”

Peter and Ray smiled, nodding. That is indeed what the fiery redhead would say. 

Egon silently walked towards the lab. The others exchanged a worried glance. 

Peter stood up from the table. “Guess I need to talk to him.” He followed Egon to the lab and closed the door behind him.

Egon turned around, startled. “Peter! Why did you….,” his voice trailed off, realizing what was going on. “I’m fine; I don’t need counseling.”

“I beg to differ, Big Guy,” Peter replied, sitting down on the couch Egon uses for naps. “Your silence is proof that you’re not ‘fine.’”

“I. Am. Fine,” Egon repeated slowly, his jaws clenching. 

Peter leaned forward. “Why don’t you just admit it? It’s tearing you apart. It’s gonna poison you if you don’t get it out.”

Egon sighed heavily, relaxing slightly as he sat down on the couch next to Peter. “It’s just so...surreal. And I can’t get the image out of my mind. Seeing her body so broken and...mutilated.” 

Suddenly, Egon broke down into tears, not being able to hold it back any longer. Peter put an arm around his shoulders and hugged him tight. 

“We’re gonna get through this, Spengs,” Peter said.“It’s gonna take some time, but we’ll get there. You know she wouldn’t want us to stay like this, especially you. She loved you, Egon. I hope you know that?”

Egon nodded. “Yes, I do.” He removed his glasses, wiping away his tears. He turned his head, looking directly at Peter. “And I loved her, too. Very much...very deeply. And now...it’s too late.”

Peter heard the phone ring as he sat there, holding Egon against him, letting him cry out his despair. Egon had always been like a brother to him. 

Winston knocked on the lab door, opening it slowly. “Guys, that was the coroner who called. You’re not gonna believe this!”

Egon composed himself, standing. He and Peter walked back to the rec room with Winston to join Ray, who was sitting on the couch looking confused. 

“What’s going on?” Peter asked.

“The coroner called. He wants us all to meet him...now,” Winston said. 

“I’m not exactly wanting to see her again...not like this,” Ray said. 

“He sounded odd during the conversation,” Winston noted. “Something’s not right. All he said was, ‘you boys need to get down here and tell me what the hell is going on; this is your area of expertise.’”

“Sounds like something that needs investigating,” Egon said. 

“Well, let’s go then,” Peter said. “Get this over with.”

**************************  
The guys arrived at the morgue. The coroner, Dr. Evers, greeted them.

“Thanks for coming down. I know this isn’t an easy thing to do.”

“Sure, what's this about?” Peter asked hurriedly. “You need clothes to dress her in or proof of identity?”

“More along the lines of proof of what world this body is from,” Dr. Evers replied.

The Busters looked at each other, then the coroner. Without a word, they followed Dr. Evers to the room where Janine’s body was. He pulled back the covering, revealing what looked like Janine except the coroner had began cutting open and removing organs. 

Ray turned to vomit in the nearest trash can; the others looked horrified.

“Sorry, I tend to forget the reactions seeing this can cause people who aren’t used to it,” Dr. Evers apologized.

He continued, seeing that the guys were still confused as to why they had been summoned there. “Outwardly, this appears to be Ms. Melnitz; however, when I began the procedures to prepare the body, I noticed some very peculiar things. For one, the placement of the organs are completely reversed. Second, there are several organs missing.”

“Any chance this was done before we found her?” Winston asked.

“No. There were no openings big enough to have removed the organs in question,” Dr. Evers answered.

“Which ones are missing?” Egon asked.

“Pancreas, spleen, gall bladder,” Dr. Evers listed.

“That’s easily explainable,” Peter said. “She could’ve had those removed years ago, although the pancreas is weird.”

“What else?” Winston asked.

Dr. Evers looked at them with a grave expression. “Her entire reproductive organs.”

All four men blushed. “As far as I know, Janine had not had a hysterectomy,” Egon replied. 

“Yeah, she had said on several occasions that she wanted kids,” Peter said.

“That’s not the only things,” Dr. Evers said. “The other organs missing are both intestines. And then there’s…...the absence of genitalia.”

At that point, the guys were nearly ready to pass out. 

“Whaddya mean?!” Peter almost screamed. 

Dr. Evers pulled back the cover further, revealing the rest of the body. It was difficult for them to look, not wanting to gawk at their beloved secretary. But, after taking a peek, it was obvious this was definitely not their secretary. 

“This isn’t human,” Dr. Evers advised. “Whatever it is you boys brought back is not from this world.”

They all looked at each other, stunned beyond belief. 

“Why did your PKE meter pick up Janine’s biorhythm if this ISN’T Janine?!” Peter finally managed to say.

Egon was deep in thought. After a moment, he cleared his throat, examining the body more closely. “This ‘creature’ had enough DNA from Janine to fool the PKE meter.”

“But How is that possible?” Winston asked.

“May I take some samples?” Egon asked Dr. Evers. 

“Be my guest. Take the whole damn thing if you want! There’s nothing I can do with it!” the man responded. 

Egon grabbed a scalpel and some Petri dishes. He immediately began taking samples of the hair, skin, and fingernails. He then cut out a tooth and took that.

Ray grimaced. “Damn, Egon! Even a tooth?!”

“I need to run as many tests on these as possible,” the physicist responded. “This is definitely not Janine, but I would like to know what it is, or was.”

“What do I do with the rest?” Dr. Evers asked.

“Burn it,” Egon said sternly. 

***************************  
The guys returned to the firehouse, even more troubled. 

“What’s the possibility that this thing used to be Janine?” Ray asked. “She turned into this creature and then was killed?”

“That’s exactly what I need to test for,” Egon replied.

“Do you have any of Janine’s DNA from before?” Peter asked with a grin forming. “And if so, how, pray tell, did you get it?”

Egon frowned at first before explaining. “I’m sure we all remember our experience with the Copy Cat entity?”

They all nodded, trying to push those memories back out of their minds.

Egon continued. “It occurred to me about a month ago that maybe I should run tests on all of us and record the information for future reference. In the event it ever happened again and we doubted each other’s true identity, we could run additional tests to weed out the imposter.”

“Good idea!” Ray said. 

“So, you have her original DNA info?” Peter asked.

“Yes!” Egon replied. He pulled a binder down from his bookshelf in the lab. He turned to the page he needed. He had everyone’s information written down on paper and each sheet inside sheet protectors. 

“Janine provided me with a hair sample. I ran my own test here, and I sent the results to a friend of mine who works in the lab in Manhattan. His equipment is better and more accurate.”

“Do you mean McCormick Labs?” Peter asked.

“Yes, Paul Greyson. He’s a friend of mine from Physics at Columbia. He’s the nephew of Frank McCormick,” Egon explained. “He can confirm these tests within hours!”

“Get to work then!” Peter said happily. 

Two and a half hours later, Paul had confirmed Egon’s test results. The information was faxed back to his lab. Egon studied it carefully, a smile forming across his lips.

“I hope that grin means our girl is still alive?” Winston asked.

“It most certainly does,” Egon calmly replied. 

“But what is this creature?” Ray asked.

“Unknown origin is what the results say,” Egon said. “We will have to ask Janine when we really find her.”

“The generator has a full charge; let’s go!” Ray urged. 

******************************  
The Ghostbusters set back out to set up the portal generator. Once ready, Winston grabbed the proton rifle while Peter and Ray had their packs powered up and ready to go. Egon had his own pack on and was setting up the additional device to keep entities from exiting the portal. It had proven to be effective the first time. 

Egon turned to the others. “Ready?”

They all nodded. Before stepping through the portal, Winston noticed something in Egon’s jumpsuit pocket. 

“Whatcha got, Egon?”

“A special gift for whatever creature that mutilated what we brought back.” 

The glint in Egon’s eyes made a shiver run down Winston’s back. “Damn, Man! Revenge?”

“I prefer to call it karma,” Egon replied, his voice cold and indifferent. 

As the men entered the portal, they caught a glimpse of a cat-like creature running away. 

“Wait!” Ray yelled. “Guys! Help me get that creature back!”

“Why?” Peter asked.

“Contact with another creature could be helpful!”

“What if that’s the monster that attacked what we brought back?” Winston pointed out.

“It would have attacked us as well,” Egon said, agreeing with Ray.

Winston lowered his rifle while the others lowered their throwers. 

“Please, whoever you are - come back! We won’t hurt you!” Ray pleaded. 

They waited. After a minute, they heard light footsteps coming in their direction. Slowly, a small head peeped out from around a bush. 

Ray squatted and held out a hand as if trying to persuade a wild animal to approach him. 

The creature stood tall and walked out from behind the bush. She slowly approached the men. Ray stood back up. 

“Are …. are you …. Ghostbusters?” the creature asked, the voice female. 

“Yes, my name is Ray.” He offered his hand to shake it. 

She held out her hand and shook it. “My name is Ophelia. I know your friend Janine.”

Egon stepped forward. “Where is she?”

Ophelia narrowed her eyes. “How do you know she is alive?”

“We don’t for certain,” Egon replied. “But I believe her to be alive.”

“A better question is how do you know she’s not already dead?” Peter asked shrewdly trying to gauge whether Ophelia was dangerous. 

Her eyes narrowed further. “Because I know the body that was here earlier was my brother.”

“How?” Ray asked. “He looked like …. something else.”

“He and I are shape shifters,” she explained. “We have the ability to perfectly imitate anything or anyone, including voices. We knew Janine was in danger and my brother Orin left our home to warn her. I left in search of a new home; we were being hunted as well because we had helped her. During my search, I came across the body. At first, I thought it was Janine, but I quickly smelled Orin’s scent. I knew then what he had done to protect her.” She hung her head. 

“First of all, we sympathize with you for your brother’s death,” Egon said. “However, his sacrifice saved Janine. Thank you for helping her.”

Ophelia smiled through her tears. 

“Do you know where she is?” Winston asked.

“Not for sure, but I know where her previous home is. Orin had gone to urge her to move and stay on the move to stay safe.”

“Could you take us there, please?” Egon asked.

Ophelia nodded. “It will be a day’s journey.”

“What do we do about the portal?” Ray asked.

“We will have to bring the generator over onto this side of the portal,” Egon said. “It will work from this side too, but we must hide it. We can shut it down once we have it here; that will save the battery life until we’re ready to go back home.”

Egon then removed his proton pack and stepped through the portal. He picked up the generator and stepped back through. He shut it down. Ophelia showed the men where her and Orin’s home was. Winston and Egon carried the generator into the home. 

“Are you sure it’ll be safe here?” Peter asked.

“Yes. Titus has already been here; it is highly unlikely that he will return.”

“And this ‘Titus’ is the bastard who murdered your brother?” Winston asked.

“Yes. I believe his plan was to lure you men here to kill you. He’s in the process of taking over this world, like the Boogeyman took over his.”

“That’s what he's after!” Peter exclaimed. 

“And knew Janine would be sufficient bait,” Egon added.

“How did Titus know about us?” Ray asked.

“Tales of your conquests have reached many galaxies,” Ophelia said. “You’re quite popular.”

“Ok, let’s go get Red!” Peter urged.

***************************  
By the end of the day, they had reached the cave where Janine had lived. Everyone was struggling to catch their breath, except for Ophelia, of course. 

They cautiously entered. Ophelia called for Janine as the guys looked around. They noticed little things that proved she had been there. Everything was in its place, very neatly. There were several plants scattered around each room, obviously having been tended to well. 

Ophelia returned to the living room where the guys were. “She’s not here. It looks like she left; most of her personal things are gone. All of the knives Orin took and the sword I gave her are also gone. Orin must’ve reached her and persuaded her to leave.”

“So, she’s on the run?” Winston asked.

“Yes. And we taught her to steer clear of the northern areas. That’s Titus’ property. She would likely have traveled further south,” Ophelia said.

“Then let’s rest here tonight,” Winston suggested. “We’ll start early in the morning.”

They could see the impatience in Egon’s facial features and Peter’s stance. 

“We won’t do her any good if we’re tired,” Winston reminded them.

“Sorry, I’m just anxious to find her,” Peter said. “She’s like my kid sister, and I’m supposed to protect her.”

“Guess that makes Iggy the ‘boyfriend’ who’s gonna beat up the bully!” Ray teased, chuckling lightly. 

That got a laugh out of everyone, including Egon. Ophelia helped find blankets for everyone and they soon fell asleep.


	7. Finding Janine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys find the real Janine with Ophelia’s help. They then devise a plan to deal with Titus.

Early the next morning, Ophelia led the Ghostbusters further south in search of Janine. She had a hard time picking up a trail; Janine had learned from Orin and Ophelia quite well on how to hide them. However, she was able to pick up a scent from time to time as well as a few broken twigs through the woods. 

Egon walked beside Ophelia, leading the way. “I can see a great deal of similarities between you and my brother Orin,” Ophelia commented. “You talk and carry yourself the same way.”

“I will take that as a compliment,” Egon replied. 

“It is!” She smiled, the first genuine smile she had made in a while. “I can see why Janine loves you; you’re quite handsome!”

Egon blushed profusely and cleared his throat. “Ahem … thank you …. “

Ophelia giggled lightly as they continued walking.

Ray was intrigued by the gorgeous flowers, trees and other vegetation. He kept stopping to take samples. 

Winston was using his military training to keep an eye out for danger. He had the proton rifle primed and ready. 

Peter just walked along quietly, trying to keep his imagination from running wild. Images of Orin’s body, in the form of Janine’s, kept flashing in his mind’s eye. 

It was nearly dusk when they heard a river. Ophelia signaled for everyone to stop and be quiet. She carefully eased through the brush to check out an area up ahead. 

Just a few yards from the river’s edge, there was a huge tree trunk lying on the ground. It had either toppled from age or a storm. The trunk had been hollowed out and leaves scattered around it on the ground. 

Ophelia was inspecting it from a distance when Peter darted towards the tree. “NO! WAIT!” She tried to warn him.

But it was too late; Peter ran too close to the tree. Suddenly, a loud popping sound was heard and before he knew it, he was being pulled into the air by a rope attached to another tree. He ended up hanging there upside down!

“Aagghhhhh!” He screamed. 

The others couldn’t help but laugh as they cautiously walked up and stood by Ophelia. She was trying to stifle a giggle herself, but failed. 

“Ha, ha. Laugh it up! Somebody get me the hell down from here!” Peter complained.

“Ophelia tried to stop you!” Winston replied. 

Ophelia walked up to Peter and climbed part way up the tree to reach the rope. “Are you going to listen to me now?” She smirked at him.

“Yes, yes! Please, get me down!” He pleaded. 

Ophelia pulled out her blade and cut the rope that held Peter by his ankles. Winston, Ray and Egon were waiting below to help lower him down to the ground. 

“I’d say we’re getting close to where she is!” Ray chirped. 

“Yes, and there’s probably more traps. So let me lead the way!” Ophelia warned. 

The guys agreed and followed her through the area. It was an area of thick forest and bushes. Ophelia found two other traps similar to the first one. One trap was rigged to launch a log towards the victim once the rope was triggered. The second one was a large piece of wood covered with sharp blades that would impale the victim if triggered. 

“Damn! What kind of stuff did you and your brother teach her?!” Peter asked, impressed but also a bit terrified. 

“We taught her how to survive,” Ophelia replied sternly. 

“Survival techniques - I learned it in the military during Vietnam,” Winston added. He looked at Ophelia. “You taught her well. These traps are very effectively made.”  
He had inspected the traps once Ophelia had found and triggered them. 

She gave him a kind nod and continued searching. The night was clear as they walked through the wooded area. The three moons that orbited the planet were all full and easily visible. Ophelia led the way, staying as close to the shadows as possible. 

Finally, tucked behind some thick brush was a small hut made from what looked similar to bamboo sticks. They were latched together with vines and mud was spread between each stick to help insulate it. The sticks that made the roof were covered with palm leaves tied down to the sticks. 

“Very well made!” Ray whispered. 

“Quiet!” Ophelia whispered sharply. She gestured for them to stay put while she checked the hut out. She carefully made her way through the rooms. 

The guys were anxiously waiting outside for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, after a few moments, Ophelia slowly emerged from the hut. Behind her was Janine, alive and well. 

The men were shocked to see how much she had changed. She was leaner, slightly more muscular; her legs were more toned than before. And her hair had grown. It was just slightly below her shoulders now. Her face was thinner, too. They were amazed she still had her glasses, although they had been badly scratched. 

Ophelia urged Janine to come out further. “It’s ok, Janine. Your friends …. your ‘Egon’ is here!”

Suddenly, Janine ran towards the guys, reaching Egon first as he had stepped forward upon seeing her. She hugged him tightly, as if she were trying to keep him from disappearing. “It’s alright,” he whispered. “We’ve come to take you home.”

After a moment, Egon pulled back, allowing Peter to greet her. 

Peter pulled her against his chest, embracing her. “Hey kiddo! It’s great to see you!” He told her happily.

Janine was too emotional to speak; she only held onto Peter as hard as she could. 

Afterwards, Winston and Ray each stepped forward, taking their turns hugging Janine. 

Ophelia stepped in and touched Janine’s shoulder lightly. “There’s enough space for us all to sleep inside, as long as you don’t mind getting a little close?”

Peter nudged Egon with his elbow. “Sounds good to you, huh Spengs?” He wiggles his eyebrows. 

Egon grinned and rolled his eyes. 

They all settled inside and drifted off to sleep. 

***************************  
The next morning, while eating breakfast, they discussed their plan to get home, and Janine’s excellent choice in home location. 

“You have the river close by, you’ve made first class traps for anyone who gets too close, and this hut is a perfect choice! You have plenty of resources readily available for food and lodging,” Ophelia said.

“Thanks. I had excellent teachers!” Janine replied. She then noticed who was missing. “Where’s Orin?”

Ophelia stifled a cry. 

“He didn’t make it,” Winston answered quietly. 

Janine gasped, tears forming instantly. Egon was a bit unnerved after he noticed her reaction, but tried to tell himself that it was just a platonic connection. 

“I’m so sorry,” Janine told Ophelia. “This is all my fault! If I hadn’t been pulled inside that damn portal, this wouldn’t have happened! He’d be safe! You’d both be home together!” She buried her face in her hands, sobbing.

“It’s not your fault!” Ophelia replied. “This was Titus’ plan! To lure the Ghostbusters here to kill them!” 

Janine looked up, shocked. “He thought Orin was me? Then why did he kill him if I was the bait?!”

“The best we can figure, he left the body near the portal opening for us to find,” Winston said. 

“Maybe he figured if we thought you were dead, we would return home and not come back?” Ray added. 

“Then he would resume his task of taking over this world,” Egon said. 

“The point is, we think, that he wants us to leave him alone!” Peter said. “Which, of course, we won’t.”

“Yeah, this bastard is gonna pay for everything he’s done!” Winston said angrily. 

“No! Leave him alone!” Ophelia screamed. “You’ve come to get Janine; don’t face him! He will kill you all!”

“No, he won’t,” Egon said calmly but coldly. “I’ve brought something to use that will take care of him.”

“What is it, Iggy?” Ray asked.

“It’s what I call a ghost bomb. Think of it as a miniature proton pack with an auto destruct mechanism. Except our packs have an abort switch; this does not”

“So, we’d better be ready to haul ass once that thing is set?” Winston asked. 

“Yes. And I have a plan: if we can lure Titus within a quarter mile of the portal, we can set it off and still have time to get through the portal to our world!”

“Egon, that’s brilliant!” Ray shouted. 

Egon just smiled, adjusting his glasses. 

“And I know exactly how to get his attention,” Ophelia said, her voice tight with emotion.


	8. You’re Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The showdown with Titus! And the guys get Janine back to New York.

Ophelia led the way to Titus’ lair. It was on the northern side of where Ophelia and Orin had lived. Janine was extremely worried and stepped forward to speak to Ophelia.

“Are you sure this is the best way?” Janine asked.

“Yes. He thinks you are dead. If I appear to him as Orin, it will keep you safe. He won’t continue to stalk you through the use of portals,” Ophelia said sternly. She placed her hand on Janine’s shoulder. “Besides, I can’t go on without Orin.”

Peter stepped up and gently coaxed Janine away from Ophelia. “Come on, kiddo. Let’s give her some space.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, how is it that you can shift your shape into your brother’s?” Ray asked. “I mean, don’t you need some of his DNA or something?”

“We are siblings, so we both share some DNA anyway,” Ophelia replied. 

“Then How did he imitate Janine?!” Egon asked suddenly.

Janine blushed. “Orin came to see me; he gave me a bunch of knives. He told me to find a new home, then he kissed me.”

Everyone grinned except Egon. He tried to hide his jealousy but Peter noticed it. So did Ophelia. Afraid that it would cause problems, she faced Egon. 

“I believe Orin had already planned to use Janine’s form as a decoy. Before he left our home, he said he must protect her.”

“So he kissed her in order to obtain the DNA he needed?” Winston asked. 

“Yes,” Ophelia answered. She looked back at Egon. “I don’t think Orin was intending on seducing her.”

Janine snapped. “You guys think I had SEX with HIM?! You all must be out of your freaking minds!” She looked straight at Egon. “Especially YOU! Maybe I should just stay here. Thanks for the trip here guys; just go home.” Her voice cracked. She walked away from them, not wanting to face any of them. 

Ray ran after her. “Janine,” he whispered, putting an arm around her shoulder. “I think she was just trying to reassure us that nothing serious had happened to you.”

She stood there, letting the tears fall freely while Ray pulled her into a brotherly hug. After a few minutes, Janine calmed down and regained her composure. Her and Ray returned to the group who had been anxiously waiting. 

Janine nodded to Ophelia that she was ok. 

“Ok,” Peter said. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

**************************  
Titus was sitting in his lair, waiting for his henchmen to return with word of where Orin and Ophelia had hidden. He wasn’t going to be satisfied until he had control of every square inch of their property. 

One of the dog-Like creatures came running quickly into the lair. “My Lord! It is Orin! He is here! Outside your door!”

Titus rose from his chair, slowly walking to the guarded doors of his home. He had a smug grin on his face. The other creatures opened the door as he approached. Titus stood in the doorway and smiled evilly at Orin. 

“Well, well, well,” Titus said. “Have you and your sister finally decided to surrender to me?”

“Never!” Orin replied. 

“I found your friend,” Titus taunted. “She refused to surrender. The same fate awaits you if you do not.”

“You are an evil murderer who does not deserve to rule others!” Orin yelled. “This world will not fall under your rule!” He then pulled his sword from its sheath and prepared to fight. 

Titus snapped his fingers and two of his dog-like henchmen ran towards Orin. Their fangs were showing as they snarled. 

Then, Ray and Winston stepped out from behind trees along the edge of the gated property. Winston fired his proton rifle at one of the creatures while Ray snagged the other one in his streams. 

Orin reached behind him and threw out a ghost trap that had been strapped to his waist. Ray gave the word, and Orin triggered the trap to open. Ray lowered the creature inside, trapping it. 

Winston was holding the other creature while Ray threw out his trap. After trapping the second one, they picked up the traps and the trio ran back into the woods. 

Titus was enraged. “No one defies me!” He yelled as he pulled out his sword. The third henchmen had retrieved Titus’ armor and prepared the demon lord for battle. He whistled loudly and four more dog-like creatures appeared. Together, the group ran into the woods to engage in the fight. 

Ray, Winston And Orin led Titus and his group to the area where they had first found ‘Janine.’ Egon and Peter had moved the portal generator back out and activated it. They were waiting behind a thick grove of trees with the real Janine. The men were ready, proton throwers in hand. Janine was ready with her sword. 

Soon, Titus and his goons were on Ray, Winston And Orin’s heels. Once they were within range, Peter and Egon jumped out, firing their throwers at Titus’ henchmen. 

Peter had caught one of the creatures in the streams and was preparing to throw out the trap. While he was lowering it inside, Egon had snagged another of the dog-like goons. Ray and Winston each had a creature caught in the streams and were in the process of capturing them in the traps. 

Titus had engaged in a sword fight with Orin while Janine was taking on the last dog-Like creature. 

The creature had been struck several times by Janine’s sword but was still coming back at her. She had a sword in one hand and had subtly pulled out a smaller blade from the inside of her boot. Ophelia had given her some clothes earlier to wear. The creature lunged at Janine once more, knocking her down to the ground. She was holding the creature back with her sword which was pushed against its throat. The creature’s fangs were inches away from her face, snarling. Janine took the blade in her other hand and stabbed the creature in its side, turning the knife and pushing it in further. 

It fell on top of her as it lay dying. Egon ran to her and pulled it off of her. He took her by the hand and helped her up. 

“Remind me to never piss you off!” Peter teased, looking at the dead creature. 

Meanwhile, Ray and Winston were on their way to the portal. Egon, Janine and Peter joined them. 

Orin had managed to knock the sword out of Titus’ hand. But Titus was momentarily distracted when he saw Janine running to the portal. 

“YOU?!” He screamed. “But HOW?!” He turned his attention back to Orin, who had, in fact, been Ophelia.   
She had returned to her original shape and had pulled the ghost bomb from her pocket. 

“You killed my brother who had shifted to Janine’s form! You wanted to keep the Ghostbusters away, but what you did actually brought them to you!” She yelled. She activated the bomb and grabbed Titus by the throat, digging her claws into his skin. “Now, you will share his fate!”

“NO!” Janine screamed. 

Egon and Peter both lunged for her, pulling her back with them through the portal. Winston and Ray had already made it through.

“Come on guys! We’ve only got a few more seconds before it blows!” Ray urged them. 

The men pulled Janine back through moments before the bomb exploded. The portal closed, a huge orange light was seen throughout the plaza area where the Ghostbusters had landed. 

Egon had placed his body over Janine’s, who was lying on the ground, to protect her. He raised up to see her crying hysterically. He pulled her to a sitting position while Peter knelt beside her. 

“It’s ok Janine,” Peter whispered, rubbing her shoulder. “We made it; you’re home.”


	9. Bar Hopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janine is trying to work through emotional issues from the other dimension. But after a little discussion with Egon, she needs some down time.

Things between Egon and Janine were tense; everyone could feel it. Ever since they had found Janine and returned her to their own world, things had been ‘off.’ That had been a little more than a week ago. The guys had insisted that she stay with them for the first few days until she had settled back into regular life. 

“Exactly what’s the problem between those two?” Winston asked. “You’d think they’d be falling all over each other by this point!”

“Yeah! Especially since it turned out that Janine’s alive!” Ray added.

Peter shook his head. “Things between them are strained - more now than before. From what Spengs has told me, he thinks Janine might have been in love with this Orin. You know, since he sacrificed himself for her and all?”

“What’s Janine say?” Winston asked.

“Not much. She has always loved Egon. She knew Orin had developed an attachment to her during her time there. But she never reciprocated, not even when she thought she was stuck there forever.”

“But surely, she knows how Egon feels?” Ray asked.

“Nope. Not for sure. He’s still refusing to not open up,” Peter replied. 

“So, she’s grieving and trying to readjust to being back home while Egon is jealous of something that doesn’t exist?” Winston summed up, lightly chuckling at the ridiculous situation.

“Yep, something so simple yet for them, so complicated,” Peter said, shaking his head again in frustration.

“I think the time difference in our dimensions is absolutely crazy!” Ray pointed out. “I mean, what seemed like a week here was like four months there!”

“Yeah! Her hair is long now! It’s down to her shoulders!” Winston agreed. 

“What’s bad is that she’s still suffering from flashbacks and nightmares,” Peter said sadly. “It’s gonna take all of us to help her get through this.”

“I noticed something the other day,” Ray admitted. “I was taking some of her clean clothes to her room after finishing the laundry. Her bed was untouched; the blankets were on the floor across the room. Looks like she’s been sleeping there.”

“She’s used to sleeping on the ground from the other world. After all, to her it was four months, like you said,” Winston pointed out. “It’s gonna take some time for her to change that habit.”

Meanwhile, Janine was walking by the lab on her way to the kitchen for lunch. Egon heard her footsteps.

“Janine, can you come in please?” 

She turned and walked slowly towards the lab. Her heart was pounding, afraid of why he needs to talk to her. Their attitude towards each other had been off and she feared something bad was coming. 

“Yes?” She asked timidly, walking over to where he was sitting. 

He looked up from whatever it was he had been working on. “I wanted to see how you were doing today? How are you feeling?”

Janine breathed a sigh of relief. “Not bad. I mean, I’m still not sleeping that great, but at least the nightmares aren’t as bad!” She laughed lightly, trying to create a more friendly atmosphere. 

Egon smiled warily. “Sorry you’re still not sleeping well.”

Janine shrugged her shoulders. “Eh, it’ll pass. Whatcha working on?”

“The box you brought back. The lock is quite different from anything I’ve ever seen.”

She leaned over, curiously checking it out. “Yeah, he had given me a key, but I guess I lost it at some point.”

“Did Orin give you any specific instructions?” Egon asked, his voice thick with sarcasm.

Janine heard the sarcasm in his voice, narrowing her eyes. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“We know that time works differently there; what was a week here was four months there. After spending that much time together, I would think the two of you may have developed a relationship of some kind?”

Janine’s face turned red. “I’ve worked here for six years and things between US never developed! What makes you think four MONTHS would make a difference?!”

Egon stood, his anger beginning to show. “I never led you on!”

“Oh no! You never did ANYTHING! You’ve only hugged me, allowed me to fawn over you, even kissed you once. But you never did anything to let me know I was wasting my time! You could be gay for all I know! It would explain a lot!”

“I never intentionally did anything to break your heart!” Egon retorted. 

“Oh, you break my heart every fucking day, Dr. Spengler!” Janine turned and left the lab hurriedly. 

The others had heard the arguing and made it to the lab just as Janine had made it downstairs. Within seconds, they heard the front door of the firehouse slam shut. 

Peter sighed. “What the hell did you do now?!”

Egon sat down. “I tried to have a civilized conversation with Janine.” He wearily sat down on his work stool, looking very much defeated. 

“Well, that’s obviously shot to hell!” Winston replied. 

“If It were me, the first thing I’d do is get a stiff drink!” Peter said. “Alright, Genius; tell me exactly what happened and what was said.” He sat down next to Egon . 

Egon told them the bitter exchange that had transpired between himself and Janine, leaving out the expletives, of course.

“You need to apologize,” Ray said. 

“Yeah, she’s been through a lot and needs understanding right now,” Winston added.

“They’re right, Spengs. I know you’ve got issues too, but I spent some time talking with Janine earlier. Nothing like that happened between her and this Orin creature. He got attached to her, but she never reciprocated. She was taught how to live on the run. And that’s exactly what she had been doing before we found her - running for her life. We saw what that demon was capable of doing to her.”

“Yeah, thank God it wasn’t her!” Winston said. “We need to find her!”

“Where do you think she went?” Ray asked.

“Let’s start with the bar up the street,” Peter suggested.

As they stepped outside, they noticed Janine’s car was still parked outside the firehouse. 

“Well, she didn’t drive there,” Ray said.

“There’s a few bars within walking distance; let’s go,” Peter said.

The guys stopped at the bar just a short walk past the Firehouse. Janine was nowhere to be found; no one there had seen her. 

“Are you sure no one saw her?” Ray asked Peter. 

“Ray, EVERYONE would’ve remembered her if she had stopped by in the mood she’s probably in!” Peter replied. “There’s a couple more places within walking distance; let’s go!”

They had became very discouraged by the time they made it to the fourth bar. Egon spotted her quickly. “There! In the corner!” 

Egon ran to Janine’s table while the others slowly followed. She had her head laying on top of her arm on the table.

“Janine?” Egon asked gently, touching her shoulder. 

She sat up abruptly, giving Egon a look that could’ve banished him forever to the underworld. She jerked her arm out from his touch. “GO TO HELL!”

Peter stepped forward, pushing Egon behind him. “Janine, it’s Dr. V. Can I join you?”

She stared at him, trying to force her eyes to focus. “Shh-sure,” She slurred. There were already two empty scotch glasses on the table, and she was working on a third.

Winston whispered to Egon and Ray, “come on, let’s leave them and sit over here.” He led his friends to a table across the room, out of Janine’s immediate vision.

Peter ordered himself a beer while Janine tried to add another one to her tab. “I think you’ve probably had enough,” he said as he gave the waitress a wink. “How many of those have you already had?” He noticed Janine was starting to slightly rock from side to side. 

“Who the hell…..knows?” She slurred. 

The waitress brought over Peter’s beer and a napkin with her phone number on it. He gave her a sly smile. She sat down the fourth scotch glass in front of Janine. 

“You’re really knocking those back fast, Big J!” Peter teased. “I also never pegged you for a scotch drinker!”

“I’ll drink just about ana-thin!” Janine said, sloshing some of her drink out.

“So….What pissed you off so much that you had to come here?”

“That asshhh-hole you call a fr-fr-friend!”

“Oh, you mean Egon?”

“IF I HEAR HISH NAME ONE MORE TIMES…..I’LL KICK YOUR ASH!” Janine screamed as she slammed both hands down on the table. 

“Come on, Red. The only ass getting kicked around here is yours…..and you’ve kicked yourself long enough.” Peter stood, waving Winston, Ray and Egon over. He pulled Janine up out of her chair.

She pushed Peter away but almost fell over herself. “You PRICK! Lemme sit here and get washted!”

Peter pulled out several twenties, handing them over to the bartender. “I think that should more than cover our tab?”

The bartender smiled and waved them out.

Peter grabbed Janine and slung her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. She kicked and screamed until they got out of the bar. Peter gave her a slap on the butt to get her attention. She thrashed so much he had to set her down. As soon as he did, Janine swung her fist to hit him but missed by a mile. 

“Spengs, come on; help me get Slugger back to her place,” Peter said. 

“Me and Ray will stay at the firehouse. If we get any calls, we’ll let the answering machine get it,” Winston said. 

Once back at the firehouse, Egon helped Peter get Janine in her car. Egon laid her down in the backseat where she dozed off immediately. He sat up front with peter behind the wheel. 

“I’ll drive you two to her place, help you get her inside the apartment, then catch a cab back here,” Peter said. “You two need some time together, work out all this.”

Egon didn’t say anything in response, except just a slight nod.


	10. Readjusting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egon tries to help Janine readjust.

Egon carried Janine upstairs to her apartment, Peter going ahead with her keys to unlock the door. Once inside, Egon gently laid her down on the living room couch. Peter went to the bathroom and brought back a cool washcloth, placing it on her forehead. 

The two men sat down in the remaining chairs in the living room. Peter turned to Egon and spoke quietly. “Look Spengs. You need to understand something. Janine is trying to readjust to being back home. Remember: she spent what she thinks was four months in that place. She had learned how to live in the wild, running for her life. She’s a bit anxious to say the least. I’m surprised she wanted to move back here so quickly. But I guess being stuck at the firehouse with four guys can get tiring. But seriously, she needs understanding right now. And the one person she needs the most has turned on her - you.”

Egon’s brow furrowed, his face blushing with embarrassment. “I thought she was upset because of Orin’s death. But, I realize now that she may not have been involved with him like I had thought.”

Peter pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. “I don’t usually betray the doctor/patient confidentiality thing, but you need to know this if you’re gonna help Janine.” He leaned forward, as if he’s telling a secret. “Janine said Orin did develop some sort of an attachment to her, but she never reciprocated. She never gave up hope of seeing you again. Janine admitted there were times when she was on the run that she had her doubts. But she also knows us well enough that we would never give up. Memories of you are what kept her going. So, when I leave and she gets over her drunken stupor, you tell that woman you love her, you weirdo!” He playfully punched Egon’s shoulder as he stood. 

Egon stood to see Peter out, a smile forming on his lips. “Thank you for being honest with me.”

Peter smiled back. “Sure thing! You’re my best pal! It’s my job to help you get the girl.” He gave Egon a quick wink on his way out the door. 

As Egon sat back down, Janine started to stir. She moaned slightly before trying to sit up. Egon hurried over to her, sitting on the edge of the couch. 

“Easy! Don’t sit up too fast!” He urged her. 

Janine removed the wash cloth from her forehead, looking around groggily. “How did I get home?”

“Peter and I brought you.”

She looked around the room. “Where is he?”

“He returned to the firehouse.”

“Oh,” Janine’s voice reflected some disappointment. 

Egon was confused. “Do you prefer him to be here?”

Janine’s eyes met Egon’s. “Not really. But if we’re gonna fight again, we might need a referee.”

“I’m sorry about what I said earlier,” Egon apologized, the sincerity obvious in his voice and eyes. “I understand now that your reactions are based upon your readjustment to being back here.”

“How am I supposed to READJUST?!” She screamed in frustration. 

Egon just smiled weakly, not knowing what to say. 

“I’m sorry,” Janine apologized. “I didn’t mean to yell at you.”

“It’s alright,” Egon said. “Whatever you feel, just say it. I promise I won’t take it personally.”

“That’s not fair to you,” she said. “It’s not your fault.”

“It’s no one’s fault; it just happened,” Egon said.

Janine smirked. “You’ve had a talk with Peter?”

Egon smiled. “Yes. And I realize that I have acted like …,” He was at a loss for words. Janine supplied one for him. 

“A complete ass?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “I am sorry.”

Janine shifted so she was sitting up with her feet on the floor, but she did not respond. 

Egon fidgeted nervously with his hands in his lap. Finally, he got up the nerve to ask what was really on his mind. “Did you love him? Orin, I mean.”

She turned her head and looked Egon directly in the eyes. “No, I didn’t. I appreciated everything he and his sister did to help me. But I did not love him.”

Egon fingered his shirt collar and cleared his throat. “Did you mean what you said at the firehouse? Do I really break your heart every day?” 

Janine could’ve sworn she saw tears in Egon’s eyes. “Well, not every day.” She reaches a hand over to hold his. “It’s just been very discouraging for me over the years, trying to gauge your feelings or if you had any. There’s been so many times before that you’ve acted like something is there. But, when you’d run back into your lab, it left me wondering what more could I possibly do to get through to you? While I was in the other dimension, I realized and kind of accepted the fact that maybe you truly just care about me as a close friend. So, I’ve tried to tell myself that I have to let go of my fantasy of us ever being together romantically.” She hung her head, allowing her tears to fall.

Egon reached over with his free hand and cupped the side of Janine’s face. He coaxed her to raise her head, allowing him to wipe away the tears with his thumb. “I’m so sorry, Janine. I never intended to hurt you like this. It’s difficult for me to show emotions, especially the ones I’m not familiar with. But when I thought I had brought back your body, that you were gone … it tore me apart. Not only the fact that I thought you were dead, but that I had wasted my life and yours by not telling you earlier that I love you. I love you with all my heart and soul.”

He leaned in and kissed her deeply on the lips, feeling her tears run down onto his face as they kissed. Janine’s free hand slowly reached up, caressing the side of Egon’s face and sliding down his neck to rest on his shoulder. As they parted from the kiss, Egon smiled at Janine. “And …. I’m not gay.”

“Thank God!” Janine said, leaning forward to initiate another kiss on the lips. 

After a moment, Janine slowly pulled away, breaking the kiss. She looked a bit nervous. 

“Is everything ok?” Egon asked, deeply concerned. He got an uneasy feeling that Janine wasn’t telling him something, but he didn’t want to push her.

Janine scooted away from Egon on the couch. “Janine?” he asked nervously.

She couldn’t seem to get comfortable; she kept changing positions. She crossed her legs, then put both feet on the floor. She then tried tucking one foot underneath her, but she wasn’t comfortable that way either. Finally, Janine stood and walked over to stand in front of the tv.

Egon stayed seated although he was perched on the edge of the couch. “Janine? Please….”

“You’ve always known I can’t lie to you,” Janine began. “I feel like there’s this huge elephant in the room so I might as well get it over with.”

She stayed on the other side of the room but raised her head to look at Egon directly in the eyes. “I need to tell you something.”

“Is that why you’ve distanced yourself from me?” Egon asked, realizing the irony. After years of him distancing himself from Janine, now the tables have turned. It upset him deeply to know how she must have felt.

“Yeah, I figure you’ll probably leave, too,” she said, her voice raw with emotion. She looked down at the floor, having lost the nerve to see him face to face.

“I won’t leave unless you ask me to,” he replied. 

“The shape shifter you guys found, thought it was me? He was my friend, that’s all. Just a friend,” she put emphasis on ‘friend’.

Egon’s stomach churned, not sure if he wanted to hear the rest.

Janine continued: “over time, he started having deeper feelings for me, but I didn’t for him. He just wanted to make me feel more comfortable. He asked a lot of questions about you guys: how we knew each other, how long we’ve known each other, my relationship with all of you.”

At this point, she looked over to steal a glance at Egon. He was sitting there, listening intently, his eyes fixated on her. 

“And….what did you say?” Egon asked hesitantly.

Janine took a deep breath, then continued: “That you guys are my bosses but over the years, Winston, Peter and Ray were more like brothers and good friends.”

She looked down at her hands wringing in front of her, a blush creeping across her cheeks. “But you were more than that, at least to me. That was the hardest part for me; knowing I’d never see you again.”

Janine broke down into heavy sobs. Egon stood and walked over to her immediately, wrapping his arms around her. But she pulled away.

Startled, Egon asked, “What’s wrong? Isn’t that what I was supposed to do?!”

“Of course! But you won’t after I tell you the rest,” she cried.

In an effort to calm her down, Egon stood back, giving her space. “What’s the rest?” He asked calmly.

“He gave me something - a wooden box with a lock. I had a key for it but I must’ve lost it. I don’t know what’s in it, but possibly some sort of love note or something.”

“Yes, I’ve been trying to find a way to open it without damaging it,” Egon reminded her. “You were holding onto it so tightly on the ride back to the firehouse, I had assumed it was important.”

Janine tried to smile but didn’t quite make it. 

Not knowing what else to say, Egon walked over to the kitchen. His mind was reeling as he tried to comprehend everything. Janine returned to the couch and sat down, placing her head in her hands and crying. 

Hearing her sobs, Egon quickly returned to her side on the couch. He cautiously put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him to lean on. As she cried, his other hand gently stroked her hair, rubbing down her neck. 

“Shhhh, please don’t cry,” he pleaded. “I’m sorry; I just needed a moment to process this.”

Janine stopped crying and walked to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of wine. 

“Would you like some?” She offered Egon.

“No thank you,” he replied.

He watched as she downed the entire glass in one go. 

“I think I’m gonna go lay down,” she told him.

“Yes, I believe that is a good idea,” Egon agreed. “Is it ok if I stay for a while?”

“I thought that was the plan?” Janine asked, her voice a bit shaky.

“It is. I’ll be here if you need anything,” he said with a genuine smile.

Janine nodded then entered her bedroom, closing the door behind her. 

Egon waited several minutes to make sure Janine was asleep, then called Peter. “I’m going to need therapy,” he told Peter.

Peter laughed. “It can’t be that bad?! What all has she said?”

“Basically, her shape shifter friend had fallen in love with her; he gave her some sort of trinket with something special locked inside! Nothing happened between them, but he obviously felt something for her!” Egon said, keeping his voice down.

Silence on the other end.

“Peter?”

“Huh? Sorry, just got a mental image I definitely didn’t need,” Peter teased. 

“I’m serious, Peter,” Egon said sternly.

“Look at it this way: she loves you so much that she never gave up hope that you’d find her, even in another dimension,” Peter said. “ So what if another guy or whatever fell for her while she was there? She never cheated on you. Now that’s love, my friend.”

Egon considered that for a moment. “That is one way to look at it. I have admitted my feelings to her but what do I do now?”

Peter sighed. “Spengs, I can’t counsel you on your love life. That’s your decision. I know this whole ordeal has opened your eyes and your heart to the fact that you’ve been in love with Janine for years. But it’s up to you as to what’s next. It may be too soon to start an intimate relationship. She’s been through a lot; making a move like that on her now might upset her more. Then again, it could be exactly what she needs.”

“But what if she really did feel something for this …. thing? What if her feelings for me have changed?” Egon asked, almost in a panic.

“You need to calm down. If you’re upset, it’s going to set Janine off.”

“I’m not upset,” Egon argued. “Janine kissed me, but she didn’t say anything about loving me. What if she no longer does? And now I’ve admitted how I feel. Maybe I am upset.”

“But you are upset and that’s called love,” Peter explained. “You, my friend, have been head over heels for Janine since day one. Process this information and then talk to her - really talk. Find out where she is emotionally before you take the next step.”

“And What step is that?”

“That you wanna have sex, genius!”

Egon didn’t say a word. 

“Spengs? Are you there?”

“Yes, I’m here. I was just thinking - she was worried that I would be upset after finding out that Orin had feelings for her. She wouldn’t be upset unless …. she loves me.”

“Very good,” Peter said. “Get some rest. You’re gonna need it.”

“You’re right,” Egon agreed. “Good night.”

“Night, Big Guy,” Peter replied.

Egon hung up the phone and returned to the couch. He leaned back, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Soon he fell asleep, dreaming weird stuff like Janine having a baby that looked like Orin, then changing to Janine and himself becoming intimate. He woke up to see he had been asleep for only an hour. He got up to check on Janine. 

As he quietly opened the bedroom door, he saw Janine lying on her side, curled up in the fetal position in the floor of a corner of her room. Egon rushed over to her, gently tapping her shoulder to wake her.

She sat up startled. “Egon! What’s happening? Is it time to go?”

“Shhh, no, everything’s fine,” Egon assured her. “We’re at your apartment in New York. You’re safe; no one is after you.”

She relaxed, and got up from the floor. Egon walked her over to her bed. “I’m sure you’ll be more comfortable here.”

“Yeah, guess I forgot I have a bed again,” she laughed nervously. She got under the covers and Egon tucked her in. 

“Do you need anything?” He asked.

“Just don’t be mad at me…. because of Orin,” Janine said.

Egon smiled. “I don’t think I could ever be mad at you.” He sat down on the edge of her bed, touching her cheek with the back of his hand. “Get some rest; we’ll talk more tomorrow.”

Janine nodded and dozed back off. Egon sat there for a while, watching over her as she slept. He didn’t know how he felt about everything she had told him about Orin. The only questions in his mind were does she still want him and what’s inside that box?


	11. The Box

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egon and Janine open the box from Orin. Will it hurt or help their relationship?

Janine continued resting comfortably so Egon got up and returned to the living room. He called the firehouse again. 

Peter answered: “Ghostbusters!”

“It’s me,” Egon said.

“What NOW?!” Peter said with a laugh.

“I need to talk to Ray; I had a thought about the portal.”

“Ok, hold on.” 

Egon held the receiver away from his ear as Peter yelled for Ray. 

“Hey Egon! What’s up?”

“Ray, did you take readings at the plaza after we returned?”

“Yeah,” Ray replied. “Everything’s normal; no PKE signatures. The blast sealed the portal permanently.”

“Good,” Egon said. “Too bad we lost the portal generator in all of that.”

He didn’t realize it, but Janine had woken and had quietly entered the room. She didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but she heard the conversation. 

“Is that ALL you’re concerned about?! Your precious INVENTIONS?!” Janine screamed. 

“I’m sorry, Janine. I didn’t mean to upset you,” Egon said. “I know you were close to Ophelia, but she gave her life to save ours.”. 

“Please! You’re happy her and her brother are out of the picture!” She retorted angrily. She then stormed back into her bedroom and slammed the door.

“Um ...Ray? I’m going to have to call you back,” Egon said quietly.

“Yeah, good luck,” Ray offered.

Egon hung up and walked down the hall, stopping at Janine’s bedroom door. He knocked a few times lightly.

“Janine?”

No answer. 

“Janine? Please let me talk to you.”

He could hear footsteps coming towards the door. She opened the door slowly. “What?” She said angrily. 

“I want to talk to you, let you know exactly what that phone call was about.”

“Fine.”

“I wanted to make sure that the portal had closed. It would be very bad if it was still open. Those creatures do not need to be on the loose here. I … I was afraid if the portal was still open, the creatures would … would look for you and take you away again. I … I couldn’t bear going through that again.” Egon didn’t try to hide the tears in his eyes or shakiness in his voice. 

Janine’s icy glare began to melt away. She bit her bottom lip in an attempt to keep her composure. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m having a hard time with everything.”

“Peter told me it may take a while,” Egon said. 

“Yeah, he told me that, too,” Janine replied. 

“You look extremely tired. Why don’t you try to get some more rest?” Egon suggested. 

She hesitated, not sure if she wanted to try to sleep again. 

Sensing her reasons for not wanting to sleep, Egon took her by the hand. “What if I stay in the room with you?”

Janine blushed and smiled. “That would help.”

Together, they returned to her bed. Janine laid back down, Egon tucking her in. He then pulled a chair in her room over so he could sit next to the bed. He took a book from her shelf and began to read, using the bedside lamp for light. Janine quickly fell into a dreamless slumber while Egon sat nearby. 

************************  
The next day, Egon returned to the firehouse with Janine. She insisted that she was ready to get back to work to help keep her busy. She also hoped it would help her resume a more regular routine after being stuck in the other dimension. Peter also agreed that it would most likely help. 

Egon went to his lab.

Peter grinned at Janine. “Some things never change.”

She returned a warm smile, then sat down at her desk. She was surprised at how much she remembered. Peter mentioned ‘muscle memory;’ things that a person has done so many times can be resumed automatically without giving it conscious thought. 

The morning was quiet: Ray was on his way to the library to check out some books on the occult that he had become interested in; Winston was busy detailing Ecto-1; Peter was napping at his desk; and Egon was in the lab. He had been there all morning without a word to anyone. 

Janine was headed back to her desk with a fresh cup of coffee when she passed by the lab. The door was open even though Egon was currently working on a project. He looked up when he heard her heels on the floor. 

“Janine? Could you come in, please?” He asked. 

Janine timidly walked into the lab. Egon motioned for her to close the door behind her. Janine’s heart pounded as she slowly walked to where Egon was sitting. He stood as if to welcome her in, a slight smile creeping across his lips. He noticed Janine’s hands were trembling as she sat down the coffee mug. A million things were flashing through her mind in a nanosecond. 

“Please, sit down,” he gestured to his couch. 

She sat down on the edge of the cushion, looking like a cat ready to pounce at the first signs of danger. She had her hands together in her lap, intertwining her own fingers in an effort to stay still. 

Egon sat down next to her, his left leg gently brushing against her right leg. It never failed to raise goosebumps on Janine’s arms at the slightest touch. 

He reached over and placed his hand over hers. “I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said softly.

Janine tried to speak, but her voice came out as shakily as her hands. “I...if...you’re gonna….f-f-fire me, then just do it.” Tears started forming in her eyes.

Egon was mortified. The last thing he wanted to do was to put her through even more trauma. “No! No, I’m not firing you!”

“You...you’re not?” She squeaked. 

“No. I’ve been working on getting the lock on this small box opened without damaging it,” Egon said. 

“Thanks. I guess it’s got some kind of sentimental value to me.”

“Yes, and I think we should open it together,” Egon said.

“Why?” 

“Because Orin obviously put something important inside to have locked it as well as he did. I think it may help you to have me here when you see it. And maybe it will help me put this behind me as well,” Egon said.

Janine nodded. 

Egon reached over and placed the box on the desk closest to the couch. He held Janine’s hand as he opened it. 

Suddenly, a pale blue light lifted out of the box, shimmering like moonlight across a pond. In the middle was a soft yellow light. Then, Orin’s voice:

“Janine, my darling, I know that you will never have feelings for me as I have for you. So, I honestly and sincerely hope that your Egon can find you and take you back to your own world. There, hopefully you will be able to harness your love for each other and treasure it always. If by some chance Egon is listening with you, I believe him to be the luckiest man in your world. To have a woman who loves you so completely is rare, in all dimensions. Help her forget the turmoil of this world. Please don’t be angry at her for the kiss I gave her. I needed to obtain a small amount of her DNA to copy her form. Love her Egon Spengler, with all your heart, mind and soul. For you will never find another such wonderful creature in all of your travels. Goodbye, Janine. Don’t mourn me or this world; love Egon.”

As the light faded, Egon closed the box. He turned to see Janine with tears silently falling down her cheeks. Egon had a knot in his own throat. Indeed, Orin’s words had helped open his eyes and to move past his petty jealousy. 

Egon took Janine’s hands again in his. “Janine, please forgive me for my actions and behavior towards you this past week. I was a fool to ever doubt your feelings for me. And an even bigger fool for not admitting to you my own feelings sooner.”

Janine’s eyes widened, her mind processing everything. “What are you saying?” she asked slowly.

“I’m saying that I love you. If you no longer have feelings for me, I’ll understand. We will find a way to still work together. I just don’t want to lose you from my life!” Egon pleaded.

Janine smiled. “Whatever made you think I stopped loving you?” She said with a smirk.

Egon leaned in and gave Janine a passionate kiss on her lips that took her breath away.


	12. Readjustment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janine readjusts to being back home.

After the kiss was over, Egon pulled Janine into a hug, holding her against his chest. 

“There were so many nights that I pretended you were there, holding me,” she whispered, tears running down her cheeks.

“You don’t have to pretend anymore,” Egon replied. 

“I love you,” she said, kissing his cheek.

He kissed the top of her head, rubbing her back. “I love you, too.” His arms tightened slightly around her. 

They stayed in each other’s arms for a few more moments. Peter had quietly walked up the hallway, curious as to where the two had gone. He peeked inside the lab, smiling after seeing the couple together. 

When he returned to the rec room, Winston and Ray were eager to know what was happening. Ray had returned from the library ready for lunch; Winston was making sandwiches for everyone. 

Peter smiled. “I think it’s safe to assume that they’ve finally had that talk, and now they’re ready to move forward. They’re in the lab hugging.”

“About time,” Winston said. 

“Yeah! Guess they’ll start dating now!” Ray said happily. 

A few minutes later, Egon and Janine joined the group in the kitchen. They were holding hands and smiling like two love struck teenagers. 

“Well, nice of you to join us!” Peter teased. 

Janine gave him a sly grin as she and Egon sat down at the table. 

“So, when’s your first date? Where are you going? Is Egon gonna meet your parents?” Ray’s mouth was moving ninety miles an hour. 

“Hold on Ray! It’s none of our business,” Winston said with a light chuckle. 

“Actually, we haven’t planned that far ahead,” Egon said. He was not blushing, to everyone’s surprise. “Janine needs a bit more time to readjust.”

“Yeah, I’m still tired and the least sound makes me jump. Guess I’m gonna need a good shrink?” She gave Peter a smirk.

“Of course! I’m the best in town!” Peter said, grinning from ear to ear. 

“So, what was it like - being in another world in another galaxy?” Ray asked excitedly. 

“Weird. But I would’ve loved to have brought back some of those plants! Absolutely gorgeous!” Janine said. 

“I was highly impressed with those traps you set up!” Winston said. “We could’ve used your help back in Vietnam!”

Janine smiled, looking down at her sandwich. “Thanks but I’m hoping I’ll be able to forget those skills.”

“You’re not kidding!” Peter agreed. “Made me a bit worried!”

They all laughed light-heartedly. 

“Remember that when you piss me off again!” Janine teased. 

They continued their lunch with light conversation and laughter. Janine had a way to go, but with everyone’s help, they knew she’d be fine. She’s a strong woman and Egon would help her, too. They arranged their first date the following Friday evening - Egon did NOT return to the firehouse that night. 

Peter would tease them for a week.


End file.
